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Hotel los Flamingos - Acapulco, Guerrero
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mrkstvns's Review
Hotel los Flamingos - Acapulco, Guerrero Review
Av. Lopez Mateos, Fracc. Las Playas • Acapulco, Guerrero 39390 • Mexico
Overall of 5
(by 1 user)
Pirates, Jungle Men, and Cowpokes LOVE Acapulco's Flamingo Hotel
interested in cultural experiences, seeker of fun and interesting places, fun-loving dad, exploring Mexican culture, livin' la vida loca, arts lover, adventurous
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JAN
21
2008
When Tarzan, the Duke, and Robin Hood weren't entertaining us on the small screen, they were jetting off to Acapulco where the beautiful people lounged around the pool at the Flamingo Hotel, sipping the original Coco Locos and marveling at the spectacular sunsets. Wayne, Weissmuller, and Flynn owned the Flamingo. Lock, stock, and barrel. It was a private paradise for them and their Hollywood co-stars.
Today, the Flamingo is something of an oddity in Acapulco. It's a genuine taste of the "jet set" days of the 1950s and 1960s, when everybody who was anybody wanted to be in Acapulco. These days, Acapulco dances to the beat of a very different drummer, and its become a bustling city on the ocean. Today's jet setters bypass the Flamingo without a second glance. They head to the towering high-rise hotels and the much better beaches to the south of the city.
Nothing changed at the Flamingo. The world just changed around it.
When you step into the Flamingo, it's as if the black and white glory days of Hollywood were only yesterday. The hotel is beautifully maintained and the pink and white paint of the bungalows seems to have always been freshly applied. There's rarely crowds in the hotel dining room these days, though when you sit down and let the sea breeze waft through the delightfully open space, you can practically hear the echos of bygone celebrities. The Coco Locos *are* excellent, and they're one of the few courses you'll have with dinner that won't appeal to the local raccoons, who seem to be relentlessly drawn towards those big open dining room windows.
Change comes slowly to the Flamingo. Some of the rooms still don't have air conditioning or TVs (and its that way on purpose). The cracked grey tile is highly polished, though it was probably the same floor where the Duke once walked. Room decor is unspectacular, but its the old time feel that people value here. It most certainly is not a hotel for people who want the latest gizmos in their room and who demand the latest luxury perks. There's also no beach at the Flamingo --- it's perched up on a cliff above the bay, and while the views are most certainly spectacular, they aren't beach views...they're rock views and island views of La Roqueta.
The most richly characterful room at the Flamingo is the Tarzan House. This was said to be the favorite room of both Johnny Weissmuller and John Wayne. It's a round, 1-bedroom bungalow with its own circular patio, perfect for lying out and relaxing. It's somewhat secluded from the main building. An unusual room, but one without air conditioning (though it's generally not hot because all the windows open up to allow constant sea breezes to naturally freshen the air). Of course the disadvantage of those open windows is that you also hear every car or truck that cruises through Old Acapulco, since the road is only a couple dozen meters away from the house. Nostalgia can wear thin at 2 in the morning...
The Hotel Flamingo is a neat place to visit, and it can make for a memorable vacation. It's not for everybody though, and will appeal to those travelers who are tolerant of limited amenities but with a critical eye for genuine quality and a serious taste for cinematic nostalgia. John Wayne, Johnny Weissmuller, and Errol Flynn once loved the Flamingo, and you might too...but they don't make many heros like they used to....
Hotel los Flamingos - Acapulco, Guerrero is recommended by mrkstvns
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